


Secrets and Subterfuge

by orphan_account



Category: Hairspray (2007)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-19
Updated: 2012-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-08 03:09:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/438476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Tracy Turnblad stepped onto the set of the Corny Collins show for her very first rehearsal, she had no idea that everything she thought she knew about the stars of the show was about to be turned upside down...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secrets and Subterfuge

Her first day on the job, Tracy Turnblad didn't realise just how much hard work being on the Corny Collins Show would be. Watching it on TV, it looked like loads of fun; a whole hour of just dancing the latest dances. And, Link Larkin was on the show. Sure, he was dating Amber, but Tracy knew that one day he'd see that she was much better for him than that blonde.

Still, she was walking into the WYZT station building, heading towards the Corny Collins Show set at half past six on a Saturday morning to start her first day of practise. She wasn't exactly completely awake, but she was still buzzing with excitement. Maybe she'd get to dance with Link today.

Before she could get to the studio door, she was stopped by a blonde girl standing in front of her. It took her a few moments to realise that it was, in fact, Amber. The girl's hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, a few strands framing her face, and her face was completely devoid of make-up. She was dressed in a black t-shirt and baggy pink sweats, and looked nothing like the posh, primped up girl on TV. "Listen, Turnblad; we don't like new people on our show. It's not just you, we don't want new people. But Brenda had to go and get herself knocked up, so here you are. Know that," Amber told her sharply. Tracy's eyes widened.

"Uh…" she began, but Amber was talking again.

"Secondly, you are not allowed to talk about _anything_ that goes on in this building. I'm not just talking about new dances or whatever, but anything that any of us says or does stays completely private, and you will be thrown off the show if we find out you've said anything to anyone. That includes your dorky little best friend," she added. "Finally, don't think that this job is easy. We all put a hell of a lot of work into this, and we're not gonna let you make us look bad by slacking. _Every_ spare moment of your time not spent in school, eating, sleeping or studying is devoted to this show. The only thing that comes in front of this show is your school grades; you will be thrown off if your grades drop below a C average. Are we clear?" Tracy nodded meekly, wondering where this girl had come from; she was nothing like the Amber Von Tussle she thought she knew from watching the show and seeing her around school. "Good. Come on, then, what are you waiting for?" she prompted, opening the studio doors.

Tracy followed her in with wide eyes, staring in amazement at the set. Sure, she'd been there for the auditions, but it had been pretty blank. Now it was full of activity, men carrying props and pieces of set, people calling out various instructions, all preparing for Monday afternoon's show. The show wasn't on at the weekends, which was why Saturday and Sunday were spent rehearsing the routines for the week. Tracy was a little lost, so followed Amber nervously through the studio until they got to a door. Amber didn't hesitate in opening the door, walking inside, so Tracy trailed behind her, and she barely managed to hide her shock when she saw the inside. Nearly all of the dancers for the show were in there, and they, like Amber, looked nothing like they did on television. They were all dressed in sweats, making Tracy feel horribly overdressed in her skirt and top, and she doubted any of them had hairspray in their hair. The girls all had theirs tied back loosely, either in pigtails or a ponytail, and the boys looked like they had just combed it a little before leaving. None of the girls had any make-up on, and some of the kids looked like they were half asleep. Beanbags and couches were in almost every available space in the room, with a coffee table in the centre, and the teens were sprawled out lazily. IQ had fallen asleep in one beanbag, and Tammy had her head in Fender's lap, eyes half closed as he absently twirled the end of her ponytail around his fingers. Most of them looked up when the door opened, and Amber smiled at them.

"Hey, Amber," Shelley greeted.

"Hey, Shell. Tracy's here," Amber added, moving further into the room so Tracy could enter behind her. There were various 'hi, Amber's and 'hey, Tracy's, and Tracy shyly waved back.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you all," she said, looking around at the faces, thinking it was weird that she felt like she knew them all yet had never actually met them all before.

"Where's Link?" Amber asked curiously, making Tracy realise that the blue-eyed teen wasn't there. The others all smirked slightly.

"Corny's office," Fender replied, and Amber smirked mischievously.

"Of course. I should've guessed. Scoot over," she said, nudging Joey's knee with her foot. He did so, and she plopped down ungracefully between him and Sketch. Sketch smiled at her, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he greeted, wrapping an arm around her waist as she laid her head on his shoulder. Tracy gaped.

"But- I thought- aren't you with Link?" she spluttered. Amber laughed quietly.

"Tracy, if you learn one thing in this show, it's that we have to give the public what it wants. They expect me, as the lead girl, to date Link, who's the lead boy. So, on camera, Link and I are a couple, and happily in love. Off the camera, however, is a totally different story. Remember what I said about not saying anything about what we do in here?" she said. Tracy nodded. "This is one of those things. Now sit down, this could be the only rest you get for a while. Mom's got a new dance she wants us to work on." There were a few groans at that, as Tracy cautiously sat down on a couch next to Doreen, who smiled at her.

"Oh, suck it up, guys. One new dance isn't going to hurt you," Shelley said teasingly.

"Besides, Velma isn't going to work us too hard, not when we've got a new dancer to train," Fender added, nodding towards Tracy. Just then, the door opened, and Velma Von Tussle herself peered in.

"Good, you're all here. Hang on, where's Link?" she asked. All of them but Tracy shared a look, then turned back to the woman.

"Corny's office," they chirped in unison. Velma sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, for the love of… Someone wake up Tammy and IQ, then get out onto the floor. I'll go find Link and Corny," she instructed.

"Don't forget to cover your eyes!" Sketch called playfully after her. Tracy gave Darla a confused look as they all stood to leave.

"What does he mean?" she asked quietly, perplexed. Darla looked at her oddly, before her eyes lit up in understanding and she let out a little giggle.

"I forgot, you don't know! Don't worry, you'll find out sooner or later," she told her, urging the larger girl out of the room with the others. Tracy, still confused, followed them through to the dance floor, which was the bare bones of the Corny Collins set. Everything that didn't have to be changed was still there, like the backdrop and Corny's podium, but things like the 'Baltimore Sounds' board had been taken down to be updated. Taking her cue from the others, she stood on the end of the line next to Joey, who gave her a reassuring smile. How come at school they were all haughty popular kids, but they were being really nice to her here? Was it another one of those secret things, like Amber actually dating Sketch?

Velma returned with a sheepish looking Link and a smugly grinning Corny, and nodded in approval at seeing them waiting. "Good. Link, if you go stand with Tracy, you can help her out if she needs it," she ordered, and Link nodded, jogging over to stand next to Tracy in the line. Though he was only in sweats, and his hair was messy, Tracy thought he looked handsome. She hoped she wasn't blushing as she felt her heart speed up when she gave her a grin.

"Hey, lil' darlin'. Good to see you here," he greeted warmly. Tracy beamed at him.

"Good to see you, too, Link. I can't believe I'm actually here," she gushed, and he chuckled.

"You'd better believe it. Now pay attention before Velma gets the both of us," he said with a nod towards the blonde woman, who was standing with Corny in front of them. Velma started explaining the newest dance, and Tracy listened raptly, determined not to screw up on her first day.

.-.

When Velma called break at ten, Tracy was completely exhausted. She'd never done so much exercise in her life, and it was showing. The others, despite what Amber had said about them not liking new people on the show, had been pretty nice to her. Even Amber had helped her out once or twice, which was surprising. Obviously the mean personality was another one of the facades that the 'Nicest Kids in Town' kept up. Tracy's head was beginning to hurt from it all. Still, the fact that Amber was with Sketch and obviously nothing more than friends with Link was good; it meant he was available. She didn't see him with any of the other girls, so unless he had a secret girlfriend out of the Council kids, she figured he was single.

They all piled back into the break room, and Tracy practically collapsed into a couch. Link chuckled, sitting down next to her. "Tired, Trace?" he asked with a slight grin. Tracy nodded.

"I didn't realise dancing could be such hard work!" she moaned. Noreen giggled.

"You betcha it is. Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon enough," she assured, before staring a conversation with her twin. Tracy sighed and leant her head back against the couch cushions.

"No wonder you're all so thin, if you go through this every weekend," she muttered. Link chuckled.

"It's barely even started, lil' darlin'. Like Noreen said, though, you'll get used to it," he replied.

"Maybe, but I think you guys are going to take some getting used to," she said, then blushed when she realised she'd said that out loud. Link raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, it's just… you're so different here than you are at school or on TV. Like, Amber is dating Sketch, when everybody thinks that you two are together. What's up with that? Why can't Amber and Sketch be together in public?" she pointed out. Link frowned.

"It's complicated. Basically, we're the teen idols in Baltimore, and everyone expects us to be perfect. So when we're on TV, we act like the smiling, cheery, constantly happy teenagers that everyone sees, and at school we act like the popular kids that everyone wants to be friends with, but no one actually dares to. If we were just our normal selves, people wouldn't like us as much. People like the idea of the group of flawless teenagers. And they like the idea of me and Amber together. She's the rich daughter of the show director, pretty and popular, and I'm the handsome rising star with the world at his feet and everything going for him. The public like the idea of the two main dancers making a couple, so we give it to them. Amber and Sketch don't mind," he explained. Tracy nodded slowly. It sort of made sense; she had to admit, Link and Amber made a stunning couple.

"But what about you? Surely it's hard for you to find a girlfriend when everyone thinks you're dating Amber?" she asked. For some reason, he found that amusing, and chuckled.

"I'm not looking for a girlfriend, Tracy. It suits me fine; girls thinking I'm with Amber means they aren't likely to start coming onto me or asking me out. I hate to think what the girls would be like if they thought I was single," he remarked, and she blushed slightly at that. They were interrupted when a hand landed on Link's shoulder, and Tracy looked up to see the smiling face of Corny Collins himself. Like the others, Corny was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, though Tracy had to admit he looked pretty hot. Not as hot as Link, of course, but for an older guy he was cute.

"Hey, you two. Having fun so far, Tracy?" he asked with a grin. Tracy nodded eagerly.

"Yes, sir. I love the Corny Collins show, I can't believe I'm going to be dancing on it!" she replied. Corny chuckled at her exuberance.

"Great. And just call me Corny; sir makes me feel old," he added. Link snorted.

"You're not old, Corny," he insisted. Corny smiled at him, squeezing his shoulder as he perched on the arm of the couch beside Link. Tracy didn't notice as Link leaned into him slightly, but Corny did, and his grin widened.

"I am compared to you kids. But, off the subject of my age, and onto the subject of why I'm here; break's over, unfortunately," Corny told them, his voice a little louder to draw the attention of the others, who groaned slightly, but pulled themselves to their feet. Corny stood, and Link grabbed his hand, using it to hoist himself up.

"And here I thought you were here just to say hi," he remarked teasingly. Corny winked at him.

"Well, if I happened to say hi on the way, what does it matter? Now come on, Velma wants to practice the new song," he told him. Link raised an eyebrow, walking with Corny and Tracy out of the break room.

"The one me, you and Amber are singing?" he asked, and Corny nodded.

"Yup, that one," he answered, moving in between Link and Tracy and sliding an arm around their shoulders. "One of the perks of being on the show, Tracy, is that not only do you get to hear the latest songs before everyone else, you get to hear most of them sung by this talented young man right here," he told her with a grin as Link blushed.

"Shut up, Corny," he mumbled in embarrassment, but Tracy smiled at him.

"I think he's right, Link. You have a really great voice," she complimented. Link blushed harder, and Corny grinned in triumph.

"See, told you. Now, let's get back to work."

.-.-.

Come lunch time, Tracy's muscles were screaming at her, but she was having way too much fun to stop. Sure, it was tiring, but the new dances were super cool! She wished she could show them to Penny when she got home instead of waiting until Monday's show, but she knew the rules, and she didn't want to get kicked off the show. She didn't know how she'd be able to keep all the secrets she'd learned, though. There was Sketch and Amber's relationship, Joey's secret passion for history, the fact that Tammy was being tutored by IQ in math, and Lou Ann and Mikey were dating, not to mention tons of other small stuff she learned in just that one day. None of the council kids showed their relationships outside of the studio, except for the fake one between Link and Amber, and Tammy and Fender. But they had been going out since before they joined the show, so they couldn't really split up. Besides, everyone thought it was really sweet that they'd lasted so long.

Tracy was seeing a whole new side to the popular kids, and it was really bizarre. She wondered whether she'd be able to be friend with them at school, or would that mean she couldn't hang out with Penny? She doubted that with all the effort they put into being the untouchable popular kids, she'd be able to ruin it with her and Penny hanging out with them. They probably would never have talked to her if she hadn't been picked for the show. Except for Link, of course.

Lunch was provided by the station, and though it was all pretty healthy food, Tracy was surprised to see them all piling their plates high with food. Doreen noticed her look and shrugged. "We have to keep our strength up. No point in starving ourselves until we pass out," she reasoned. It made sense, so Tracy didn't hold back when eating, feeling less embarrassed about the amount of food on her plate due to the fact that it was no more than anyone else had.

Though Velma didn't eat with them, preferring to eat in her office, Corny did. He was sat between Link and Amber, looking perfectly at home surrounded by teenagers. Tracy realised that she'd never really thought of Corny as an adult before; he was on a kid's show, and good-looking, which made him pretty much ageless. And he definitely didn't act like an adult, joining in with the joking and teasing, and happily contributing to the gossiping even though he didn't know half the kids they talked about. Tracy liked him; he was fun.

When everyone had finished eating, they had half an hour or so to let the food go down so they didn't get stomach cramps, which most of them used to call parents or do some homework, or just chat. Tracy was currently in a conversation with Doreen and Joey, the two who seemed the friendliest to her so far. Except for Link, but he'd walked off somewhere a while back. "Hang on a sec, guys. Could you tell me where the bathroom is?" she asked tentatively. Doreen nodded, smiling.

"Sure. It's just out the door, turn right, down the corridor, past Corny's office and turn left, then there should be a door on the right that says 'ladies' on it," she directed. Tracy smiled, standing up.

"Thanks," she replied, heading out of the room and turning right. Cautiously glancing around to make sure she was going in the right direction, she walked down the corridor that she hoped was the right one. She saw a slightly ajar door with the words 'Corny Collins' painted on it, and smiled when she realised she was going the right way. Passing the door, she followed Doreen's instructions and eventually found the bathroom.

On her way back to the break room, she saw Corny's door was still a little open. Then she heard murmuring voices from the office and raised an eyebrow. It sounded like Corny was in there with someone else, but who?

She crept a little closer until she was almost directly outside the door, able to hear the voices properly. Her eyes widened when she realised it was Corny and Link in there, and she slowed her breathing in an effort to hear more.

"…so glad you're here this weekend. You were ill last time, and we barely get any time together on show nights. I've hardly seen you all week." That was Link's voice. Tracy raised an eyebrow; she hadn't known Link and Corny were that close. She heard Corny's quiet chuckle, and what sounded like fabric rustling.

"I know, sweetheart, and I'm sorry," he replied. Tracy's eyes went wider at that. Sweetheart? "I'll make it up to you. Come over to my place tonight. I'll cook, we can watch a movie, have a little fun." Corny's voice lowered at that, and Tracy felt herself blushing slightly.

"What about my parents?" Link asked.

"Tell them you're sleeping over at Amber's," Corny murmured in reply. "C'mon, baby, I haven't had you to myself in so long," he groaned. Tracy's cheeks were red hot at listening in on the obviously intimate conversation, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away. What was going on between Corny and Link?

"You had me this morning. And about five minutes ago," Link pointed out, chuckling. Tracy nearly choked. Did that mean what she thought it meant?

"Not what I meant. Though I am _definitely_ not complaining about either of those times. I'm just saying, it would be nice to have some alone time with you where we don't have to get back to rehearsals in a few minutes," Corny replied sofly. Tracy heard the sound of two people kissing, then a quiet moan that sounded like it had come from Link, and couldn't stop the small squeak that escaped her lips. Link and Corny were together? Like, _together_ , together? Oh my God. If that was one of the secrets that the council kids kept, it was a _huge_ secret. She remembered the morning, when the kids had all said Link had been in Corny's office with those knowing little smirks, and Velma had just rolled her eyes. They all knew. They all knew that Link and Corny were gay.

Tracy swallowed, straightening up slightly. Okay, she could deal with that. She knew most people frowned upon gay people, the same way they frowned upon black people. But she figured that just like a person couldn't choose the colour of their skin, they couldn't choose who they fell in love with, and it didn't make them a bad person. Still, she hadn't expected Link or Corny to be… that way. Oh my God, she had a crush on a gay guy! How embarrassing! Suddenly, she heard her name, and listened to the conversation again.

"…she's pretty cool, don't you think. I think she'll fit in okay, once she gets used to us all being our normal selves around here," Link was saying, and Tracy couldn't stop the swell of pride at hearing him say that.

"Yeah, I like her. She's got spunk, and she can dance with the best of them. I think it'll be good to have her on the show. Show people that you don't have to be stick thin to do what you want, you know?" Corny replied. Tracy grinned; that was the plan. That, and integration. But she was working on that, with Penny and Seaweed. She absently wondered if the council kids were genuinely against integration, or if it was just part of their image. If it was, she hoped she could change it. "She's got a crush on you, you know," Corny said teasingly, and Tracy blushed hotly. Corny _knew_?

"No… you think?" Link asked sceptically. Corny chuckled.

"It's obvious, baby. She's totally hung up on you," he replied. Tracy took offence to that; she wasn't _totally_ hung up on him. She wasn't about to go crying to her mom because he was with a guy. She could be friends with him.

"You jealous?" Link asked, the smirk practically audible in his voice.

"…A little," Corny confessed.

"Only a little?" Link asked, and Tracy imagined he was pouting.

"Hmm. Only because I know you love me and, no offence to Tracy, would never think about anyone but me," Corny replied smugly. Tracy grinned slightly; their teasing was cute. She had to admit, the thought of them together was pretty hot, and they were adorable together, even when they were just hanging out with the others and not acting couple-y at all. Now she thought back, though, she saw all the little touches and looks that had seemed totally innocent at the time, but now she knew better.

"So sure of yourself, are we?" Link asked in reply, a slight hint of challenge to his tone.

"Uhuh. You told me so, remember? Repeatedly," Corny answered, still teasing. Link chuckled.

"So I did. Though I distinctly remember you telling me exactly the same thing," he replied, drawling slightly.

"I did, didn't I?" Corny murmured in reply, his voice so quiet that Tracy had to lean closer to the door to hear him. Unfortunately, she leaned too far and overbalanced, falling against the door and causing it to slam shut. Mentally cursing, she froze, hoping Corny and Link were too engrossed in each other to notice. "What was that?" Damn. Maybe not, then. She scrambled away from the door just as it opened, Link peering out curiously. His eyes widened when he saw Tracy, who was red faced.

"Tracy?" he asked, shocked.

"Link, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I was just, the door was open, and I-" Link cut her off, shaking his head as Corny appeared behind him, wrapping an arm around Link's waist.

"Tracy, it's fine. How much did you hear?" Corny asked neutrally.

"Uh, from where you were inviting Link over tonight. I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but your door was open and I couldn't help myself, and God I'm so sorry," she stuttered. Link chuckled.

"Tracy, relax. We're used to it. It's not the first time someone's eavesdropped on us, and it won't be the last. Besides, you would have found out sooner or later," he added.

"I'm totally cool with it. You two, I mean. You can't help who you fall for," she replied with a smile. Link and Corny shared a soft smile, then turned back to her.

"Thanks, lil' darlin'. This makes things so much easier. People can't find out about us, alright? I know you'll already be keeping secrets for us, like Amber and Sketch, but if people find out about them, they'll just get gossiped about for a while. If people find out about us, Corny will go to jail and my career will be ruined. I'm still underage," Link pointed out. Tracy gasped.

"I won't tell anyone, Link, I promise. I don't want that to happen to either of you," she vowed. Corny gave him a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Tracy. Now, why don't we get back to the others? Lunch break's almost over," he pointed out. Tracy and Link nodded, and Corny blushed slightly. "Just, uh, let me put on a shirt," he added. Tracy giggled when she realised that Corny was indeed shirtless. The older man ducked back into the office, bending down to pick up his t-shirt, and Tracy giggled once more at seeing Link blatantly checking out Corny's ass. "Eyes off my ass, Larkin," Corny called without even looking round. Link snorted.

"But it's such a nice ass, darlin'," he replied, a slight whine to his voice. Corny straightened up, pulling his t-shirt over his head, then walked back over to them and twisted Link around, kissing him firmly on the lips.

"I know, but you don't have to stare. Let's go, then," he declared, sliding an arm around Link's waist. He shot Tracy an odd look when he saw her grinning at the couple. "What?" he asked, starting down the corridor.

"Oh, nothing. You two are just cute together, is all," she said, making Link blush as Corny kissed his cheek with a grin. The three of them walked back to the break room, where the others were all sat around talking. They looked up when the three entered, and Amber raised an eyebrow at Corny's arm around Link's waist.

"She knows?" she asked. Tracy didn't have to ask who 'she' was.

"Yeah, and she's promised not to say anything. I told you we could trust her, Amber," Link replied.

"How'd you find out? Did you walk in on them?" Shelley asked with a grin from her seat between Lou Ann and Amber.

"No, I overheard them talking in Corny's office," Tracy replied with pink cheeks. Shelley giggled.

"Shame. At least walking in on them doing it lets you get an eyeful of them. Still, it's only your first day; plenty of time for you to catch Link and Corny doing the naughty in his office," she replied with a grin.

"Or Velma's office," Brad piped up.

"Or in here," Joey added, giving a disparaging look to a rather worn-looking couch in the corner that no one was sitting on.

"Or behind the backdrop," Darla said with a giggle.

"Or-"

"Alright, we get it, we have sex all over the place!" Corny interrupted, rolling his eyes, though both he and Link were blushing slightly. "Can we get back to rehearsals now, please?" he prompted. The kids complained playfully, but left the break room and went back out to resume rehearsing.

.-.

Finally, come six o'clock, rehearsal time was over. Tracy realised she'd been dancing for eleven and a half hours, and she'd have to do it all over again tomorrow. She was exhausted! She'd definitely be going to bed early tonight.

Showering in the girl's dressing room showers, she changed into fresh clothes and for once left her hair down; there was no point in putting it up with tons of hairspray when she was only going to go home and go to bed. She probably wouldn't tomorrow, either. None of the other girls did, and it would be easier to dance without it getting in her face. When she was dressed, she went back out and through to the break room to get her coat. Most of the guys were there, as well as a couple of the girls, and they smiled at her when she entered. "Hey, Tracy. Is Amber nearly ready?" Sketch asked. Tracy smiled, he was a sweet guy, and it was obvious he was totally head over heels for Amber.

"Yeah, she's just getting dressed, she should be out in a minute. I'll see you all in the morning, then," she replied, shrugging on her coat.

"Bright and early," IQ agreed with a slight grimace. Fender shoved his shoulder good-naturedly.

"You'd think you'd be used to the early mornings after a year and a half of them," he remarked. IQ just groaned.

"I am not a morning person," he declared adamantly, and Tracy laughed.

"Bye, everyone," she called, leaving the room. There were various replies, and she passed Amber on her way out. "Sketch is waiting for you in the break room," she told the blonde, who smiled slightly at the mention of her boyfriend.

"Thanks. Oh, and Tracy?" Tracy turned to look at her curiously. "You're not so bad… for a dork," she added with a small grin. Tracy smiled back.

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself… for a popular," she retorted lightly. Amber laughed, shaking her head.

"I'll see you in the morning," she replied, before heading towards the break room, no doubt to meet Sketch. Tracy had a feeling those two were going out somewhere tonight, they both kept giving each other pointed looks and secret smiles.

Waving to Corny on her way out, Tracy left the studio, feeling like she'd just left an alternate universe in which the popular kids were actually nice people and Link Larkin was dating Corny Collins. What would Penny say? But she couldn't tell Penny. She'd promised, and the council deserved their privacy just as much as the next person.

She walked through the slowly darkening streets of Baltimore, heading for home, her mind stuck on the day she'd had. It was possibly the weirdest day she'd ever had in her life. She liked it, though. She liked the council, and could see them becoming good friends, even Amber. Only in the studio, of course. In public she'd have to continue being just ordinary Tracy Turnblad, the dorky, overweight girl who constantly strived for equality and somehow managed to get herself on the Corny Collins Show. She could handle that. Now that she knew the council weren't as shallow as they seemed to be, the past insults didn't hurt that much. It was all about public image.

When she got home, the first thing she did – other than greet her parents – was go to the phone, dialling Penny's number. "Hello?" Penny's mother answered primly.

"Hi, Mrs Pingleton. Is Penny there?" Tracy asked politely.

"Hang on once second, Tracy. Penny, it's Tracy on the phone!" Mrs Pingleton yelled for her daughter. There was a long silence, before Tracy heard scuffling.

"Hi, Tracy. How did it go? Were they nice to you? Was Link nice to you? Were he and Amber all lovey-dovey? Did you dance okay?" Penny asked eagerly. Tracy smiled, feeling slightly bad that she couldn't be completely truthful to her best friend. But then she remembered the look on Link's face as he looked up at Corny, and the same look reflected in the older man's expression, and knew it was for the best.

"It was good, Penny. It was good."


End file.
